Festooning mechanism for loop driers



Feb. 5, 1935;

A. O. HURXTHAL El AL FESTOONING MECHANISM FOR LOOP DRIERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1932 Feb. 5, T935. A. o. HURXTHAL El AL 1,990,406

FESTOONI NG MECHANISM FOR LOOP DRIERS Filed July 28, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 5, 1935. A. o. HURXTHAL ET AL FESTOONING MECHANISM FOR LOOP DRIERS Filed July 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Uwuu y 112 mam; 5 866' raga,

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STA FESTOONING MECHANISM FOR Loor- DRIERS Application July 28, 1932,- Serial No. 625,514 4 13 Claims. (01. 271-22) This invention relates to web-handling devices, and particularly to mechanisms for forming a strip of fabric, paper etc. into festoons or loops suspended from relatively spaced girts of a supporting conveyer arranged to transport the undulated web through a drying or other processing apparatus at a relatively low rate of speed, while, at one end of the apparatus, the web is being fed into the spaces between adj acently disposed girts at a rate of speed substantially greater than the speed of movement of the conveyer, whereby the web is laid over the girts successively and formed into loops each of which hangs from and between a pair of adjacently disposed girts.

Prior to this invention considerable difiiculty has been experienced in getting the web to festoon properly in each of the successive spaces between the supporting girts. After enough of the web has been fed between a pair of adjacently'disposed girts to produce a loop of desired length, the web is pinched against the trailing girt of the pair to arrest the feeding of the web therebetween, and to start the formation of a new loop between the girt against which the web is pinched and the succeeding girt.

It frequently occurs that, instead of falling immediately behind the girt against which the web is pinched and in front of the succeeding girt, the web will bridge the space between the two girts and accumulate on the said succeeding girt, subsequently falling to one or the other side of the succeeding girt and frequently toward the trailing side thereof, thereby entirely skipping the space between the two girts wherein no loop is then formed, while a loop of substantially twice the desired length will be formed in the space between the succeeding girt and the girt following thereafter in the course of travel of the conveyer.

The object of the present invention is to prevent bridging of the space between an adjacently disposed pair of girts and the accumulation of the web on either of the girts, in order that festoons of uniform size will be formed in each space between each adjacently disposed pair of the supporting girts.

In those apparatuses wherein the girts supporting the festoons are periodically or continuously rotated to prevent any particular portion of the web from lying for any great period of time a fixed relation to and on any of the supporting girts, as the conveyer intermittently or continuously advances through the apparatus, the aforementioned difiiculty in starting a new f estoon may be readily overcome by rotating the trailing girt of the pair between which the new loop is to be formedin the direction toward the precedinggirt of the pair, which will constantly direct the web into the space between the two girts, whereby the tendency for the web to bridge the. space between the girts iseliminated and thetendency for the web to buildup in a gpileon th trailing girt is likewise eliminated.

In apparatuses where the girts are not intended for-relative rotation with respect to theconveyer the bridging and accumulating tendencies of the web may be readily counteracted by the provision of a guide roller intermediate the conveyer and the web feeding mechanism, which, when rotated in the direction of feeding of theweb to the conveyer, will at all times direct the web between the girt at which the'pinching ofthe web occurs and the succeeding girt on the cone veyer. f The construction and operation of the mechanism forming the subject of the present inventiqnwill be more fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings; oiwhich:

Fig. '1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the feeding end of an apparatus 'employing a festoon-supporting conveyerof the relatively rotating girt type, showing the mechanism of the present invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2, Fig; 1; and

Fig. 3' is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing the principles of the present invention applied to an apparatus employing a web-supporting conveyer having relatively fixed girts.

As shown in Figs. -1 and 2, the apparatus ingeneral comprises a rigid framework 1 affording sup port for rotatable shafts 2, 2 on which are secured sprockets 3, 3 for guiding'and driving side chains 4 of a festoon-supporting conveyer 5. j

Formed on or secured to the side chains 4, at relatively spaced intervals therealong, are bearings 6 in which are rotatably mounted trunnions '7 that project outwardly from the opposite ends respectively of each of a series of transversely extending relatively spaced and substantially parallel girts 8, I I 5 Supp-ortedby the framework 1 is a longitudinal-f ly extending beam 9', which in turn supports a bearing plate 10 for each of the side chains 4 disposed respectively at the opposite sides' jof the conveyer 5. f

Formed on the bearing plate 10, at-at leastoI-ie side of the conveyer 5 is a bearing surface '11 upon'which a portion 12 of each girt S is adapted to ride and whichfas theupper run of the conveyer advances in the direction 'ofthe arrow a for the purpose of description and the succeeding girt on the conveyer that is then approaching. the

end 13 of the supporting rail' 9 and' bearing-plate 10 and which is designated as8b.

The drum 15 is adapted to be rotated at a substantially greater peripheral speed than the lincal speed of the upper run of the "conveyer'fi whereby the web 10 will be formed into aseries of festoons or loops :0 supported at their upper ends byand hanging respectivelyjin the spaces between the" successive girts of the conveyer.

- Arranged adjacent "the receiving end 13 of the supporting 'rail 9, for-gripping' or pinching the webwagain'st the girt entering-- upon the bearing plate 10, inthe present instance, is a strip of flexible material 16-, such' as "canvas, which is weighted at its lower end in any suitable man- IIeif-as by a metal bar 17, and supported at its upper end by a bar 18 secured at its opposite ends respectively to the frameworkl and extending transversely across the apparatus above the upper runof the conveyer 5, the'lower end of said strip 16 being arranged to engage the portion of the webto passing over the girt 8a, whe'reby further feeding of'the web w over said girt is arrested, whereupon the web normally should fall between the girt 8a and the next succeeding girt 8b, to start the formationflof a new festoon m between the pair of girts 8a8b. r As the preceding girt 8a of the said pair enters upon'the receiving end of the bearing plate. 10 the trailing/girt 8b moves into position to be engaged bythe peripheral surface of a wheel 20, which isrotatably mounted on a stud 21 secured to-the framework 1 and provided on its peripheral surface with any suitable form of friction material indicated at 22- for contact with" the end portion 12 of the girt.

In the present instance, the wheel 20 is driven from thedrum 15 by means of a gear 23-secured to the shaft 24 to which the drum15 is also secured and which maybe rotatedat the desired speed from any suitable source of power, not shown."

Secured to the shaft 21, on which the girt-engaging wheel 20 is also secured, is a pinion 25 with which the gear 23 meshes, the peripheral speed of the wheel 20 being such as to develop a peripheral speed in the rotation of the girt; 8b that will in the present illustration-exceed the lineal; speed of feeding of the web 10 between'the girts 8a and 8b bythe drum 15.

While the present illustration discloses means whereby the trailing girt 8b will be rotated at a peripheral speed exceeding'the lineal speed of feeding of the web by thedrum 15, it will behere noted that the girt may be rotated at a peripheral speed approximately the same as the lineal speed of feeding of the web, and in some instances less than the said lineal speed of the web.

Inorder to insure sufficient frictional driving contact between the wheel 20. and the portion 12' of the-girt 811a press wheel-26 is mounted belowtheupp r run of the conveyer 5, in substanwork 1. girts 8 that is in operative engagement with the bearing plate 10 and which is designated-as 8a tially the same vertical plane as the axis of the wheel 20, for engagement with the portion 12 of the girt 8b in diametrically opposed relation to the wheel 20, the press wheel. being continu; ously held in a girt-engaging position by, and carried on the outer end of, a fiat spring 27, in the present instance, the opposite end of which is secured to a bracket 28' carried by the frame- Obviously, the positions of the wheels '20 and 26 may be reversed with either one acting as the drivi'n'g wheel for the girt and driven from any suitable source of power.

Rotation of thegirt-.8b, in the direction of the arrow. thereon,:.tends at all times to discourage any tendency of the web to bridge the space betweenzthe'girt 8a. and the girt 8b, and any tendency for the web to build up in folds on either of said girts, because of the web being continuously directed toward the girt 8a and downwardly into the space between the girts 8a and 8b.

1 In that form of the inventionshown in Fig. 3, the girts 8, while of a general cylindrical form, are held against-rotation relative'to'the side chains 4 by-any suitable means, not shown, the suppoiting rail 9 and bearing plate 10 in thisinstancemerely providing a support to prevent sagging of the upperru n' of the conveyer-5 without lefiecting any rotation of the 'girts in-the manner above noted. V 3 In the instance illustrated in Fig. 3, the guide roll 30 is rotatably mounted intermediate the drum 15 and the upper run of the conveyer am a plane above but immediatelyadjacent tothe top surfaces of the girts 8. Thefweb passing over the girt 8a having just entered upon the end of the supporting" structure 9 is pinched against the surfaceof said girt by the weighted apron 16, in the mannerabovenoted, and the guide roll 30, rotating in" the same direction as the feeding of the webf'by the drum 15*, causes the web to drop immediately behind the trailing side of the irt 8a against which theweb is pinched and be: tween-the said trailing side of the said girt and the advancing side of the succeeding girtBb-ylib start the formation of a new loop or festoon x such feeding of the web w preventing the bridge ing of the space between the girt 8b andthe preceding girt 8a and continuing in the formation of the loop 11: without contacting with ,the girt 8b Luntil such gir t;i's ready to pass onto the end of the support 9, whereuponv the flexible apron 16 becomes efiective toarrest further feeding of the web and starts'the formation of a new loop in the .mannernoted.

In the present instance the roll 30 is driven by a belt or chain 31ffrom a pulley or sprocket 32 secured to the drum sh'aft'24and passing. around a corresponding pulley or sprocket 32 secured to theshaft 33. on which the. roller-30 is also-secured.

a We claim:

1. The combination ofa conveyercomprising relatively-spaced girts forv supporting a web in 'festoons, means above the conveyer for feeding the web between a pair of said 'girts, means for rotating theleading. girt of the pair at a normallylow rate ofspeed. as the conveyer advances, and means for rotating the trailing girt of said pair toward the leadinggirt of said pair in the direction of feeding of the web at a relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons,

means above the conveyer for feeding the web thereto, means for holding the web at one of said girts positioned below the said feeding means to start the formation of a festoon between. said girt and the succeeding girt, and means arranged to engage said girts successively in passing beneath said feeding means-for rotating the said succeeding girt to facilitate the formation of the festoon.

3. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relative- 1y spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, means above the conveyer for feeding the web thereto, means arranged to engage the girts successively to pinch the web against one of said girts positioned below the said feeding means to start the formation of a festoon between said girt and the succeeding girt, and means arranged to engage said girts successively in passing beneath said feeding means for rotating the said succeeding girt to facilitate the formation of the festoon.

4. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adjacently disposed pair of said girts to form a festoon therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, means for rotating the leading girt of the pair at a normally low rate of speed as the conveyer advances, and means for rotating the trailing girt of the pair between which the web is being fed by said drum at a relatively higher rate of speed than the leading girt to assure the formation of said festoon between said pair of girts.

5. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adjacently disposed pair of said girts to form a festoon therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, means for holding the web at the advance girt of said pair to start the formation of said festoon between said pair of girts, and means for rotating the trailing girt of the pair between which the web is being fed by said drum to assure the formation of said festoon between said pair of girts.

6. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adiacently disposed pair of said girts to form a festoon therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, means for holding the web at the advance girt of said pair to start the formation of said festoon between said pair of girts, means for rotating the trailing girt of the pair between which the web is being fed by said drum to assure formation of said festoon between said pair of girts, and means for rotating said girts at a relatively slow peripheral speed as the conveyer advances said girts beyond control of the first said girt-rotating means.

'7. The combination of a plurality of relatively spaced festoon supports, web feeding means above said supports, means effecting relatively lateral movement between the feeding means and the supports to feed the web between said supports successively, and a driving wheel arranged to engage said supports successively for rotating the engaged support toward the preceding support .to assure formation of a festoon between the engaged support and the preceding support.

8. The combination of a plurality of relatively spaced festoon supports, web feeding means above said supports, means effecting relatively lateral movement between the feeding means and the supports to feed the web between said supports successively, adriving wheel arranged to engage said supports successively for rotating the engaged support toward the preceding support to assure formation of a festoon between the engaged support and the preceding support, and means for pressing the engaged girt into driving contact with said driving wheel.

9. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between said girts to form said festoons successively in the spaces therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, a driving wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the path of movement of said girts for engagement with said girts successively, and means for rotating said wheel to rorotate the girt in engagement therewith as the web is fed between the engaged girt and the preceding girt to assure formation of a festoon therebetween.

10. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adjacently disposed pair of said girts to form a festoon therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in the path of movement of said girts for engagement with said girts succesadvances beneath the drum, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in the path of movement of said girts for engagement with said girts successively, means for rotating said wheel to rotate the girt in engagement therewith as the web is fed between the engaged girt and the preceding girt to form a festoon therebetween, and means resiliently pressing the girt engaged by said driving wheel into driving contact therewith.

12. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supporting a web in festoons, a drum above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adjacently disposed pair of said girts to form a festoon therebetween as the conveyer advances beneath the drum, a driving wheel adjacent one face of the conveyer for engaging the girts successively as the conveyer advances below the drum, and a press wheel adjacent the opposite face of the conveyer for simultaneous engagement with the girt engaged by said driving wheel to press the engaged girt into driving contact with said driving wheel.

13. The combination of a conveyer movable in a predetermined plane and comprising relatively spaced girts for supportinga, Web' in festoons, a .drum. above the conveyer for feeding the web between an adjacently disposed pair of said girts the ggiwts successively as the conveyer' advances below: the drum, a. pressrwheielf. adjaeentthe: op-

iposite face of-the 'conveyer, 'for simultaneous engagement with thegirt engaged bysaid driving wheel to press the engaged girt into driving con tact with said driving wheel, andresilientmahs for pressing the press wheel against the girt.

0;. EDGARB. K RST; 

